Lock-brick



(No Model.)

. G. J. HERTH.

LOOK BRIGK.

Patented Mar. 12, 1895.

LL- I I H m z UNITED STATES GEORGE J. HERTH, OF EVANSVILLE, INDIANA.

LOCK-BRICK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 535,497, dated March 12, 1895. Application filed December 1, 1894. Serial No- 530,527- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, GEORGE J. HERTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Evansville, in the county of Vanderburgh and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefullmprovementsin Lock-Bricks, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my said invention is to pro duoe bricks so formed as to be capable of interlocking with each other, and thus form in themselves a strongly supported structure, irrespective of the mortar, cement, or other means by which they are commonly united. Bricks embodying my said invention will be first fully described, and the novel features thereof then particularly pointed out in the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof, and on which similar numerals of reference indicate similar parts, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a row of my improved bricks, placed together in the relative positions they occupy in an arch; Fig. 2,a perspective view of one of said bricks separately, on a larger scale; and Fig. 3, a perspective view of a fragment of a circular wall, such as is used in wells, cisterns and the like, when constructed of my said improved bricks.

As will be readily understood, my improved bricks are more especially adapted to the building of arches, tunnels, culverts, Well and cistern linings, and the like, Where the Walls extend in a curved or circular form, in which case the bricks themselves are preferably curved; but, obviously, they may also be formed straight, and employed in constructing straight walls. Wherever employed, they are so interlocked, because of their peculiar form, as to produce a very strong structure.

The form and construction of my improved brick is best shown in Fig. 2, by reference to which it will be observed that if it were divided longitudinally the two halves would be of opposite construction, each half, at one end, being adapted to overlap the corresponding portion of an adjacent brick, and each of these ends, in turn, being made up of two portions adapted to overlap corresponding end portions on adjacent bricks-that is to say, the rear half projects at one end, and is formed of two portions, 1 and 2, the portion 1 being longer than the portion 2; while at the same end of the brick the front half is composed of the two portions 3 and 4, the portion 3 being longer than the portion 4:. At the other end the construction is exactly the reverse. Considering the end first described, it is obvious that in this construction, when two bricks are brought together end to end, the projection '1 prevents each brick from being drawn in- Wardly in relation to the adjacent brick, and the projection 3 prevents it from being pushed outwardly, so that the bricks are held together in both directions; and one side of each brick extends beneath the other side of the adjacent brick, and thus said bricks overlap each other in alldirections, which,as before stated, is a very great advantage in many classes of structures, particularly such as are above mentioned. I

As a different way of describing my improved brick, it may be stated that the longer corners of the two sides are diagonally opposite each other at the respective ends.

Having thus fully described my said invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

As a new article of manufacture, a brick having two overlapping sides each of which has the four corner portions 1, 2, 3 and 4, the corresponding corner portions being diagonally opposite and constructed and operating substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 27th day of November, A. D. 1894.

GEORGE J. HERTI-I. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

CHESTER BRADFORD, JAMES A. WALSH. 

